Olympic Games: Team GB cyclist Jack Carlin announces retirement
Less than a month ago Carlin spoke of her excitement about the Commonwealth Games returning to Glasgow next summer. Not least because he lives near the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome, where the cycling races are currently taking place.
But the decision to quit had already been made, and a retrospective examination of what he said at the time shows uncertainty about his ambitions on this occasion.
As the potential poster child for the reimagined event – he sat a rapt child in the stands in 2014 and medaled at the next two Games – was he a key to walking away from a spectacular end-of-career chance?
“It was the elephant in the room,” Carlin said of Glasgow 2026.
“The people I told said ‘What’s going to happen to Glasgow?’ they asked. “But there’s less than a year left, and if I decide to put it back on my back when I’m not in a position to do it, I’ll be doing both myself and the jersey a disservice.”
Carlin doesn’t need that elusive gold medal or another wave of admiration from the home crowd to validate his accomplishments.
These achievements place her fourth on the all-time list of Scottish Olympic medal winners, behind Duncan Scott, Sir Chris Hoy and Katherine Grainger.
As he said, many of his competitors will leave the sport without ribbons around their necks and precious metals in their hands.
Like him, they will have memories, experiences and friendships, which the Scot will, when he thinks back, treasure as much as medals.
“It’s rare for someone to walk away while still rubbing their shoulders,” he adds. “But you have to be able to give 100%.
“I can come out of this situation saying, ‘I gave everything I could, I gave my whole body to this sport, I’m happy.’ I couldn’t do more. That’s why I can’t be sad.”
“I started this journey when I was 14 and my parents gave up time and money to not let me pursue this dream.
“And if anyone had told ‘Wee Jack from Paisley’ ten years ago that he would have four Olympic medals around his neck, he wouldn’t have believed them.”
